Monday, April 16, 2007

I actually had a wide black headband, not a red one, but I forgot it at work.Detail of the skirt back. This is the RTW-copied skirt that I used for my Hot Patterns Bustle Back inspired black skirt in the SWAP (the one with black lace at the hem).

This jacket was made using McCall 5007 (see below). I've wanted however a bell sleeve, so I cut the sleeve and added a rectangle with small pleats. I've used rickrack for edges, catching half of it in the seam so only little triangles are showing. The fabric is a mystery one, coming from a sales bin at the my favorite fabric shop (Tany, if you're reading this, the owner is a very nice Portuguese man). It's a bit boucle, a mix of some synthetic fibre and silk, I think. Ravely, but it presses very nicely and it sews great. Too bad I had only a 1.5 m piece....

Details of the rickrack and the pocket...Detail of the bell part of the sleeveWrong side of the bell part of the sleeve. I didn't line the bell part, because I didn't want it to be too puffy. That's why I did a Hong Kong finish on the seam.

Hot Patterns Denim Diva Wrapture Jacket - done in black velvet, with black and white polka dots binding (used that to make bounded buttonholes too, hope you can see them), with vintage buttons and quilted lining.

I'm planning a new spring/summer SWAP built around a skirt I already have and love. It's bought not sewn, made of savage silk. Cut out the lining which was a very ugly polyester and must do a new one.

The SWAP will include a previously sewn item, the Cross Your Heart Top which is my reversible item in the TimmelFabrics Swap.

And the first item of this SWAP was finished the past weekend - it is another interesting top from seeitsewit.com. The original pattern was with straps, I drafted another back and sleeves, using my Jalie wrap top which is used a lot these days to redraft armholes and sleeves. The top is very-very flattering for my B-cup and it is made in the light avocado cotton lycra that you see together with the blue and aqua cotton lycra in the SWAP picture. The darker avocado at the bottom of the picture is organza.I'll make another top like this in black cotton lycra, this time using the original pattern, with straps and half a back - it will be perfect for salsa dancing.

This pictures tell me I should lose 1 kg - it's the Easter kg... All the cakes and pannetone and stuff...That's it, for now, I hope you like it.

This is a wardrobe for my daily life, working and non-working. I am lucky enough to be able to wear anything I want at work – and I mean anything, from the smartest suit to jeans and a t-shirt. I’ve already worn everything in my SWAP at work and felt very good in it. It saved me a lot of time in the morning when deciding the outfit for the day. For work, I’m going to wear a cami underneath the reversible top, for going out I would wear it like it is (pretty sexy cleavage, I like it, because it makes the most out of my modest B cup). The Jalie cami is meant to be put in my purse and then worn when going out directly from the office.

I don’t plan on wearing the white sheer batiste Romanian-inspired blouse with just a bra underneath, I will wear it with a cami. The photos are taken with just a bra because I wanted you to see the lace, eyelet and satin bias stitched on the front of the blouse and it is hard to make them show on white.

It’s been such a great learning experience this SWAP. Briefly, I discovered a sewing community (there is none in my country and I know of nobody else sewing besides me in my city), the sharing and support within this community is just great! I ended up having a great coordinated wardrobe and been “forced” to sew more than I would normally sew when having no deadline, which was absolutely great. I’ve experienced new techniques I knew about but haven’t tried yet – like French seams, bound buttonholes, sewing reversible items – and am very pleased about the results. And last but not least, it definitely boosted my creativity, so once again, Julie from TimmelFabrics, a great big thanks!

I'll post more pictures when the SWAP page is unveiled. Don't want to spoil the surprise

Monday, April 2, 2007

Finished my exams, even if not entirely satisfied with how I did. I'm trying not to think about it for the time being, as I will only know the results in the second half of May.Started sewing but didn't have time or the necessary state of mind to take pictures, guess pictures will have to wait until after Easter.I'm working hard on my SWAP. I've finished the black skirt, copied after the Hot Patterns Bustle Back skirt. I've used a pattern copied after RTW and altered it accordingly (the original version was a skirt straight in the front and with four panels in the back, flaring at the bottom and slightly longer than the front).I've also finished the Jalie cami (2546). I wanted to use a wide black elastic lace, so I've altered the top a bit, giving it a V finish instead of the normal rounded one (see the red line in the drawing). Used black foldover elastic for the straps.My reversible top still needs hemming (don't know why I can't convince myself to do it).I've also progressed on a white cotton batiste blouse, using the Brown Patterns basic shell pattern. I've altered it a bit, slashing it in the front quite deep (I'm planning to wear a cami underneath anyway, as the batiste is really sheer). I've also added short sleeves. Didn't want puffy sleeves but didn't want regular sleeves either, so I did a tuck at the center of the sleeve, both where the sleeve joins the arm and at the sleeve's hem. I don't think my words are very clear, it will get better when I post pictures :)I'm also adding some lace vertically on the front of the blouse, a bit like the look of the Romanian traditional blouses.It does take some work however, the batiste being very sheer ravels terribly. I'm doing French seams and have to be very careful so raveled threads from the seam allowance don't get caught up in my seam and show on the right side.I've also started working on the Hot Patterns Denim Diva Wrapture jacket. I'm doing it in black velvet. Instead of encasing the edges in contrast bias, I'm using piping, a black satin with little white polkadots. I've cut the lining in a quilted fabric, with quite thin batting, also black.I love the way the jacket looks so far, I think it will be great in the end and already thinking of doing another one - maybe a grass green with some contrast bias - have to think what colour.This jacket should work great with all the items on my SWAP, so it would fit in the SWAP extension I guess.Cut the Vogue 8368 (Divine Details jacket) in a spring-weight white and black mystery fabric (it's cotton and something and it has a bit of boucle), interfaced it and cut the lining. I want to do a simple version, so I won't use any lace on the front nor in the back. I've altered the center back piece accordingly.Hope to be back soon with photos!